PENTECOST 7, C – July 11, 2010

SCRIPTURES – Leviticus 19:9-18; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37; Psalm 136 

A stingy old lawyer who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness was determined to prove wrong the saying, "You can’t take it with you." After much thought and consideration, the old ambulance-chaser finally figured out how to take at least some of his money with him when he died. He instructed his wife to go to the bank and withdraw enough money to fill two pillow cases. He then directed her to take the bags of money to the attic and leave them directly above his bed. His plan: When he passed away, he would reach out and grab the bags on his way to heaven.

Several weeks after the funeral, the deceased lawyer’s wife was up in the attic cleaning and came upon the two forgotten pillow cases stuffed with cash. "Oh, that darned old fool," she exclaimed. "I knew he should have had me put the money in the basement."

Isn’t it great that it was a lawyer whom Jesus put in his place in today’s Gospel reading? The man desired to justify himself, to make himself look good by reinterpreting God’s law, adapting it to himself. Lawyers are good at this, aren’t they? They’re skilled at pitting words against each other and changing their meanings so that they can free their clients and win their case. Nothing is so clear that a lawyer cannot muddy it!

Even so, don’t let the fact that it was a lawyer opposing Jesus blind you to what he was doing. What we have in this lawyer is a man who knows God’s Law – “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole being and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” – but does not want to do it. How like him we are! We are good at reinterpreting and adapting the God’s Law to get around it!

The priest and the Levite in Jesus’ story certainly would have done so. “Oh, I can’t help that man,” thought the priest, “It looks like he’s dead. If I touch him, that will render me unclean and unable to do my priestly duties. I have to serve God first!” The Levite, who also served in the temple but under the priests, said to himself: “Oh, I can’t help that man, either. I have to follow my boss, the priest. He knows how to serve God!” They both reinterpret God’s clear Law to excuse their unwillingness to help.

We are also guilty of this. Just consider one of God’s commands in Leviticucs19: “You shall not curse the deaf or put an obstacle before the blind.” Oh, I’d never do that! Well, do you talk about others when they are not present? Do you gossip? This is no different than cursing a deaf person in his presence, for he cannot hear you!

God’s Law is hard. It is not only a guide for us; it also condemns us, every one of us. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” If we did this there would be no angry arguments, no need for complaints or police or lawyers or courts. There is a great need for them, however, for we don’t love and obey God completely or love our neighbors as ourselves! We are all guilty before God.

Four times in our reading from Leviticus, after He defines His Law, God says, “I am the Lord.” He stands behind His Law. He will punish disobedience, especially the sin of knowing what He says but refusing to do it. But, did you notice the difference in what He said when He commanded His people to not harvest every bit of their fields and vineyards but to leave some as food for the poor? “I am the Lord your God.” God stands with His people to help them and care for them! How blessed we are, for He has bound Himself to us! “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” says Psalm 136. We are not without a God who is good, who loves us, who is our Savior and Defender!

We are not godless people. God does have the right to direct our lives with His commands and laws; and because He is good, we are blessed when He does so and we follow His commands. People whose concern is about themselves first practice the reinterpreting and changing of laws and standards to excuse and justify themselves. The result is selfishness, confusion, and sin because their standards and rules are constantly changing. Unchanging truth, clear and certain right and wrong, is not known and so is unable to guide them.

‡       If it were, such things as the slaughter of millions of innocent babies by abortion would never allowed and even defended!

Seek to be justified by the Lord, with whom there is unchanging truth, right and wrong, good and evil. This is hard, for His law and its demands will condemn you. We do not love our neighbors as ourselves, nor love God with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength. But, blessed are you if you know this! Only then will you know how great and incredible is the steadfast love of God which endures forever.

“I am the Lord your God.” God has held nothing back from us. He is our God; He has bound Himself to us. He put His name on you when you were baptized, thereby claiming you as His child. This is your forgiveness, for when it comes to children and the law, parents bear the responsibility, don’t they? If your child steals, you the parent must restore. If your child breaks something in a store, you must pay for it. “I am the Lord your God.” God holds nothing back. In joining Himself to us He makes our burdens His own. He comes in love to help and save us.

‡       Look at the Samaritan in Jesus’ story. He goes to the injured man and helps him. He not only binds his wounds; he turns aside from his own journey and responsibilities to provide continual help. He puts the man on his donkey and takes him to an inn. He pays for his room and his care, and promises to pay as much as is necessary for the man to recover. Jesus is speaking about Himself. He is our Good Samaritan.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 

As God has held nothing back from us, we must hold nothing back from others. Faith in Christ must be seen in love for your neighbor. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”  With these words the God who has bound Himself to you also binds Himself to your neighbor, and especially to those in need.  As you deal with others, you are dealing with God.

Jesus chose a priest and a Levite for the story He told the lawyer. Why? Why did He point out that the Samaritan tended to the man’s wounds by pouring on oil and wine, things that the priest would have poured out on God’s altar in worship? Jesus was not being anticlerical, pointing out the hypocrisy of faithless clergy. He was declaring that worship and life are one. You cannot be in God’s house and pour out praise that is pleasing to Him, and then ignore your neighbor in his need. You worship God in His house by gratefully receiving His love and care, the forgiveness of your sins that He pours out upon you in His Son; then, you worship Him in His world by pouring out your love for your neighbor in works of sacrificial service.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” This sums up God’s will for our lives. This Law, which we break, is fulfilled for us by Christ. On the cross He poured out His life for us, out of love, taking our wounds upon Himself and gaining forgiveness for our sins; then, out of love for us He comes to us here to pour out His love and forgiveness upon us. His great love for all is then brought to the world as through us He brings to our neighbors His love to help and heal them. In serving them, we serve Christ, and so the love we receive is received back by Him; to the glory of God, the Father.